Perspective
by Katniss451
Summary: Reaping of the 74th Hunger Games from the POV of Peeta, Prim, Gale, and more.
1. Peeta

**This won't be the whole Games from Peeta's POV, just the Reaping. Let me know if you want me to extend it to the goodbyes.**

**Enjoy!**

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My body wakes up automatically at 4:00 am. Even though I don't think anybody will be buying bread on Reaping Day, I still promised my dad I'd help him this morning. I throw on my work close and head downstairs.

"Morning dad," I say as I enter. We live above the bakery, so I don't have far to go to get to work.

"Morning," he grumbles back. My dad has never really been very talkative.

My dad is already getting started, and I fall into line beside him. We work silently for a while. As my body completes the monotonous routine, my mind begin to wonder. Before I can help myself, I start to think about Katniss. _I hope she'll be okay._ I doubt she even knows my name, let alone thinks about me. Especially today. I turn to my dad. _If he had just married her mother, I wouldn't be in this situation._ I sigh and focus on my work, pushing all thoughts of Katniss out of my mind. For now.

After about an hour, I heard somebody knocking at the back door. I glanced at my dad, wondering who would be coming to the bakery this early on Reaping Day. Wordlessly, my father goes to see who it is. I can faintly hear some talking before my dad calls for me to bring a loaf of bread. Curiously, I bring the bread to the door and hand it to him. That's when I see _him._

Gale Hawthorne. Katniss's closest, perhaps only, friend, with whom she spends most of her time. I wouldn't be surprised if they end up getting married. I am stuck with a wave of jealousy. What makes him so much better than me? Quickly, I shake these thoughts from my head. I've never even spoken to her, let alone tried to be her friend. I have no real reason to dislike Gale. He's her friend. He might even be related to her for all I know. So why does the thought of her with him make me so angry?

I turn around and leave, embarrassed for thinking this way. I busy myself with baking for the rest of the morning, finding comfort in it. I love baking. The delicious smell fills the air and I wish I was able to taste the things we bake. Well, I guess I do, but it never tastes the same when it's stale.

My father and I share the squirrel he got from Gale for breakfast. Thank goodness my mother isn't up yet. If she was, you can bet I'd be eating a much less appetizing breakfast of day old baked goods. Unfortunately, though, the squirrel only reminds me of Katniss. She's so good with a bow and arrows. I contemplate trying to talk to her for maybe the billionth time, but dismiss the idea. What can I possible have to take to her about anyway?

My train of thought is interrupted by the sound of my mother moving around upstairs. Fast as lightning, we are back to work. The last thing I need today is to give her a reason to be angry. I already have enough to worry about as it is. Sure, I've never needed to take out tesserae, but there's always a chance. I wonder how many slips Katniss has…

Before I know it, my mother is ordering me to get dressed. I race upstairs and put on the nicest clothes I own. Why does the Capitol demand we dress up? I mean, what's the point of looking your best when you'll probably be dead in a week? It doesn't make any sense to me.

"Is that how you plan to have your hair?" I hear my mothers voice say behind me. Suddenly I'm frozen. "Well?" I hear her tapping her foot on the wooden floor. _Speak up! _

"Uh, no, I'm just going to fix it now. Alex borrowed my things earlier, and I need to go get everything back from him." I'm impressed with how easily the lie slid out.

"Okay then, just hurry up," she orders before marching away. I get to my room as quickly as possible and fix my hair into something my mother would deem acceptable.

Soon, it's time to file into the square. I hate the way we are all herded into pens. It makes me feel like we are nothing more than animals to be slaughtered for entertainment. Its disgusting, the way the Reaping is treated as a holiday.

Alex, my older brother and I, make our way to the square together, but split as soon as we are done checking in. As I approach my section, I catch sight of my friend Delly. She is just about the nicest person I have ever met. Even today she looks happy. Sometimes I find myself envying her possessiveness.

"Hi Peeta!" Delly trills brightly, upbeat as always. "How are you today?"

"I'm as good as can be expected, Delly," I reply.

"Come on, at least try to be optimistic. You can't have more than five slips. Think about some of the other seam boys. They must have five times that."

I know she is saying this for my benefit, that she's only trying to cheer me up, but it only reminds me how unfair everything is. How practically everyone from the seam has to take out tesserae. I can't help but feel guilty. I wish there was a way to help. _You did help someone once, _a tiny voice in the back of my head says, but I silence it. Then, for some reason, I think of Gale. How many slips must he have? Before I can think something awful and selfish, I turn back to Delly.

"I know. I guess I really shouldn't worry," I say, but it's more to please her than anything else.

"That's the spirit. Don't worry it will all be over soon. I've got to go now. See you later!"

"Bye Delly." I can't help but remember that for two kids, it won't be all over. For them, this is just the beginning of the end.

I stood and listened to the same old speeches as usual, going on about the goodness of the Capitol. Personally, I don't know what's so good about a city that murders innocent children for sport. Even worse, those kids don't even get to die as themselves. First, they are forced to suffer and kill. Not even the victor comes out the same.

I am distracted by Effie, the district twelve escort, walking towards the girls' reaping ball.

"Ladies first," she always says. As if it's a privilege. I nearly laugh before I realize a girl is about to be sentenced to death. _Please, don't be Katniss_, I thing. _Or Delly, or Susan…_

"Primrose Everdeen!" Shock. That girl couldn't have more than one entry! My daze is broken by a sudden realization. Silently, I curse in my head, thinking every foul thing I've ever heard. Because I know what's coming.

"I volunteer!" I can hear Katniss' voice ringing above the crowd. "I volunteer as tribute!"

The desperation is obvious in her voice. She loves that girl more than anything in the world, and I knew there was no way Katniss would allow her into the Games. But all I can think is that I'm going to have to watch the girl I love die for entertainment. Should I go to say goodbye to her? Tell her how I feel? I know I can't. It would be too cruel, too selfish, to confess my feelings and then have her sent off to die. Especially if she feels the same way… she couldn't, could she?

I am abruptly aware of everyone staring at me.

"Peeta Mellark? Where are you? Come on up!" The voice belongs to Effie, but she isn't making any sense. It takes a while to register that she means me. For surely nothing this horrific can happen to a person.

I look around in bewilderment, and it painfully dawns on me that I have been reaped. I will be locked in the wilderness with 23 others, including the girl I love, and only one will return home.

Slowly, I make my way to the stage. When we are instructed to shake hands, I finally bring myself to look at Katniss. I can see it in her eyes that she remembers me.

Our only real interaction happened when we were eleven, after her father died. My mother and I were working in the bakery, like normal. She went to the back, and I heard her screaming. I followed her, and heard her say some terrible things to Katniss and threaten to call the peacekeepers. It was clear that she was starving; she could barely stand upright. Even back then, it was hard to see her that way.

We went back inside, and before I could think, I dropped two loaves of bread into the fire. Furious, she slapped me. Hard. I could tell I was going to get a black eye. I remember her yelling and yelling, but I wasn't really paying attention. Then, when she told me to give it to the pigs, I went outside and waited for her to leave. When the cost was clear, I tossed them to Katniss and went back inside.

The next day, she caught me looking at her. Both of us looked away, slightly embarrassed. Then, for some odd reason, she picked a dandelion. That's it. The only time our paths ever crossed. I didn't think she even remembered it, it happened so long ago.

All of this goes through my head in a matter of seconds. Katniss looks nervous, so I give what I hope felt like a reassuring squeeze. All I can think it: _How am I possibly going to do this?_

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**I appreciate any advice, so please review! Prim will be coming up next, followed by Gale.**


	2. Prim

**Finally! Prim is done. Sorry for the _long _wait, but I'm focusing on my other fic Invincible: Cato's Story which you should check out and review :D but I hope you like it and it's worth the wait. It gets kind of slow in the morning (where I got writer's block) but I like it. Please let me know what you think! I love getting input, and I like to know I'm writing thing people like.**

**Also, new fic coming soon I hope you like. I'm working really hard, and I'll let you know when it comes out. Clue on my profile!**

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_The perfectly manicured hand hovers above the reaping ball, then plunges deep into the mass of names. My heart starts racing. It can't be me, it just can't. I only have one name, one slip in thousands. The hand selects a name, and I hold my breath._

"_Primrose Everdeen," the a deep, ominous voice echoes across the square, and I freeze. _

"_RUN!" Katniss' voice calls from far away. I try to run towards it, but I can't move. Suddenly, I can feel myself being pulled towards the stage. No matter how hard I try to fight it, it's no use. This mysterious force is too strong. When I reach the stage, I start to get desperate. I manage to get to the reaping ball, but every slip has my name._

"_NO! There must be someone else! A volunteer?" I plea, looking out at the crowd. But then everyone starts disappearing. The last to go is Katniss. She gives me an apologetic look._

"_I'm sorry Prim. I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you." And then she's gone._

I wake up sweating. Carefully, I slip out of the bed I share with my sister, Katniss. She is still asleep beside me, and I don't want to wake her. Tiptoeing, I crawl into bed beside our mother. My cat Buttercup hops up beside me and wiggles his way under my arms. Squeezing him tightly, I manage to fall back asleep.

When I awaken again in the morning, Katniss is gone. _Probably hunting, _I think. Mother is still asleep beside me. I always enjoy looking at my mom when she's sleeping. She looks peaceful, happier. I like to think that she's with my father when she dreams. I feel a shudder creep up my spine as I remember my dream last night. Or should I say nightmare.

To distract myself from the fact that today is my first reaping, I go into the kitchen to make some tea for myself and mother. There's an upturned bowl on the counter, so I can only assume that Katniss has found the goat cheese I left for her last night. My gift to her on reaping day. She must have taken it out with Gale. Sometimes I wonder if they'll ever get married. Knowing Katniss, she would never risk it, never risk the reaping for her children.

The goat cheese has reminded my about my goat, Lady. As I wait for the tea to boil, I go out and milk her. Lady's head perks up as enter the yard. I still remember the day Katniss brought her home for my birthday. I stroke her for a while, immersed in one of the few happy memories I have.

I stay in the yard until he whistle of the teapot brings me back inside. Even though I hate to do it, I know I should probably wake up mother. She told me she was going to help me get ready for the reaping today.

A shiver runs trough my spine. _The reaping. _Today, two kids are going to be picked to fight to the death. Which for our district mostly means death. _Don't worry, _I tell myself. _It's not going to be you. Katniss said so. _

I take a deep breath to calm myself down before shaking my mother awake.

"Oh, good morning Prim," she says, and I give her a hug.

"Morning!" My mom looks at me, and I see a sad look cross her face. But in a moment, it's gone and she's smiling again.

"Where's Katniss?" she asks, looking around the room.

"I don't know. She's probably in the woods. That's the only place she would go," I answer. Either that or the hob, but I don't say that. Mom doesn't like the fact the Katniss trades there, but we don't really have much of a choice.

"I wish she would let us know, or at least leave us a note, " my mom sighs.

We both know Katniss doesn't have to leave a note, but again I don't say anything. It's a very sore subject with my mom. She knows Katniss has never really forgiven her for _leaving _after our father died. Katniss had to keep us all alive on her own. I just wish she would realize that we have mom now, and that's what's important. It's not like it's mom's fault for spacing out - she had no control over it. Besides, she feels guilty enough already.

I decide to change the subject. "I made tea," I say cheerfully. "Would you like some?"

"Of course," she replies.

So I pour both of us a cup and we drink it in silence. It's pretty obvious that we are both feeling a little uncomfortable today. It must be bad for my mother, sending not one but two children into the reaping this year. Katniss must have twenty entries by now, while I only have one. I can't help feeling a little bit guilty about that, but Katniss wouldn't let me take out any tesserae. She insisted on doing it all herself. It's been like this since our father died - her taking care of me, not trusting our mother. I appreciate all she's done, especially when we were young, and I love her so much. I guess I just feel bad because she gave up her childhood so that I could have mine.

"So, I was thinking you could wear Katniss' first reaping outfit today," my mom declares abruptly. I figured I would be, since I don't have anything and I'm definitely not expecting anyone to waste money on me.

"Sounds good," I answer.

"Good. Now why don't you get yourself washed up while I see if I can find those clothes,"

"Okay." I go to our tiny bathroom and fill the tub with lukewarm water. Carefully, I slid in and scrub myself down from head to toe, taking extra care to wash my hair nicely. My father always loved my hair, so I try to take good care of it.

When I'm through, I find my outfit lying on my bed. I dress myself in the white blouse and skirt, but the shirt is a little big on me. As soon as I finish, my mom walks in.

"Why don't I do your hair?" she asks me, and I nod. "Here, sit down."

Wordlessly, she combs and brushes my hair, making it nice and smooth. Then, she braids my hair into two braids, like pigtails. They look like how Katniss used to wear her hair.

"Perfect," I hear my mother whisper.

I hear someone come in through the front door and turn to see that Katniss has come back, carrying what seems to be a lot of food. She sets it in the kitchen, then comes to see me.

"You look great, little duck," she says, tucking in the back of my blouse.

"I laid out something for you to wear too," our mom says from behind me, and Katniss stiffens. She doesn't like help from anyone, except maybe Gale.

"Okay," Katniss answers curtly. At least she didn't turn it down.

I wait in the kitchen fidgeting with my hands until Katniss is done getting dressed. It turns out my mom has lent her one of her dresses from when she worked in the apothecary shop. Before my mom married my dad, she lives in the merchant part of town and had a little more money. But she gave it all up to be with my dad. Her dresses are special to her, and I'm glad Katniss is wearing one.

"Do you want me to do your hair?" Mother offers.

"Uh, sure," Katniss says, a little unsure. I watch as our mom twists Katniss' hair into some sort of elaborate braided up-do. I wonder where she learned to do that. It's almost as good as something you might see during the interviews before the Games.

"It's… beautiful," my sister murmurs quietly. My mom just smiles.

We eat a little bit of the awful grain bread and decide to save the good stuff for tonight. Celebrate the fact that neither of us were chosen. Because neither of us will be chosen. Katniss promised, and Katniss is never wrong.

Too soon, we are walking to the town square. I can see the kids, all being corralled into sections, and I freeze up. I can't keep going.

"Don't worry. It's not going to be you. It won't be. You're only one name," Katniss reassures me.

"I-I know," I stutter. "I just don't want to leave you."

"It'll be okay, little duck. I'll see you soon, okay?" Her grey eyes meet my blue ones, and I feel better. She's kept me safe for so long, and I know she'd do anything for me._'s_

I can't do anything but squeak out, "Okay."

With that, Katniss turns and goes to her section closer to the front while I go to the back. I guess it's set up that way because the odds are better that an older kid will be picked. Older child equals more names. The chances of my name being picked out of all those slips is so small, so remote, it probably isn't worth worrying about.

But that doesn't change the fact that as soon as the district twelve escort steps onto the stage, my heart speeds up. There are speeches and a video, but I'm not listening. Instead, I am transfixed on that reaping ball, filled with slips. One of them has my name on it. Twenty of them have Katniss'.

Too soon, the Capitol woman is calling out, "Ladies first!"

The hand digs into the reaping ball, just like in my nightmares. I must be in a nightmare right now, because the name that's called out is mine.

"Primrose Everdeen!"

The name bounces around in my skull, but I don't move, for surely this is just another bad dream. Any second now, I will wake up and crawl into bed with my mother. Buttercup will hop up beside me, guarding me from - from- _this._

Only it's not a dream. The girl beside me nudges me softy. "It's you," she whispers softly, slightly timid, as if she's afraid I might break. There's no hiding the sympathy in her voice. _This isn't a dream. _

Slowly, I take small steps up to the stage. But before I can reach it, there's Katniss, shouting for me. I know already she will volunteer for me. That's when I really know it's real - in my dreams Katniss is always unable to reach me. Now I wish she would disappear, be pulled somewhere else. She doesn't deserve this, she's worked too hard. Besides, how will mom and I survive without her?

"I volunteer!" I hear her shout. "I volunteer as tribute."

Finally, I find my voice. "NO!" I scream, then throw myself on her. She can't do this, she can't! I won't let this happen.

Suddenly, a great force lifts me off of her. I feel relief. Maybe it is a dream, and this is a new torture. But no, its just Gale, throwing me over his shoulder. Surely he must understand! Katniss can NOT go into the arena.

Now I'm crying. No, not just crying. My body is racked with sobs, convulsing with pain. I watch my big sister walk onto the stage, into her death. _It's my fault. _Is all I can think. _It's my fault. It's my fault._

Then I go numb. I am vaguely aware that Gale sets me down beside my mother. I know the reaping must continue. But as the reality sinks in, my mind can focus on a single thought.

_My sister has done everything for me, and now she is going to die for me._

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**I hope I did the emotion well. Gale next! Or maybe , Can't decide.**

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	3. Gale

**I am so sorry this is so late, but I've had so much homework and tests and projects... But here it is! For the Gale/Katniss conversations, I did it by memory as a mix between movie and book and some of my own, so I apologize if it's not perfectly accurate. **

**Also, thanks to my first reviewer! This one's for you. Ms. Everdeen will need two more reviews before I post it, and Made (yes, I'm doing Madge and I have some special stuff planned =)) will need a total of 5. Feel free to review more than one chapter ;)**

**Speaking of reviews...**

**Contest: ****If you can tell me what the numbers in my name stand for (prefered review, but PM if you really want) I will review at least one of your fics :D**

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I get up extra early to hunt before dawn. Katniss and I are meeting later and I want to bring her something special. Before I leave, I take one last look at my two little brothers and sister. I honestly don't know what I would do if one of them got picked today. Gently, so as not to wake her, I plant a kiss on Posy's lips before quietly slipping out of the house before without making a sound. The ability to move silently is a skill acquired over years of hunting.

Even though nobody is awake yet, let alone walking in the streets, I move quickly through the back allies to reach the hole in the fence closest to my house. Even in the darkness, I find the loose spot easily. Out of habit, I stop and listen for the hum that means thee fence is charged, but as usual, the power is off.

"I'm sure the power never turns off in the Capitol," I mumble to myself as I crawl under the fence. The Capitol always has everything they need and more, while the districts get by with nothing. Although in this case, it works to my advantage since it let's me escape into the forest that provides for my family.

Once I'm in the woods, I can feel myself relaxing, forgetting about the reaping. I can never be entirely happy inside the fence, where everything I do and say must be censored. Here, I can do whatever I want, say whatever I want. The president may have an iron grip on the districts, but here I'm free.

As I check the snares I set last night, I wonder why the Capitol keeps us starving. I mean, wouldn't more food make stronger workers? I'll bet all the food that gets wasted there would be enough to feed an entire district. But I guess weak slaves are easier to control. That's all we are to them anyways - slaves. Besides, this way causes division among the starving citizens and the ones who are well fed. If we are divided, there will be no more rebellion.

I sense myself starting to get angry and force myself to think about something else. It's too dark for me hunt with a bow, even though Katniss could probably still shoot a rabbit through the eye. For a second I wish she was here, but I'm meeting her later and I want to surprise her. At least one of my snares caught a nice squirrel that I can trade with the baker, Mr. Mellark. He's rather fond of squirrels, and I know how much Katniss likes fresh bakery bread.

The bakery is closed, but I know Mr. Mellark is probably already up and baking by now. The sun is just starting to rise as I knock at the back door and the baker answers.

"I brought you a squirrel," I say slowly. He simply nods. Mr. Mellark is not known for being talkative.

After a moment, he turns his head and calls to someone in the kitchen. "Peeta, bring over a couple fresh loaves."

A few moments later, a blond haired boy appears and hands his dad two loaves of bread, who in turn hands them to me. It's way more than the squirrel was worth, but I don't say anything. Instead, I just thank his and he shuts the door.

I drop off one loaf at my house and leave it in the kitchen for my mom to give the kids for breakfast. The other I bring to my meeting place with Katniss. I smile as I think of my family waking up to a nice warm loaf of bread waiting for them. It'll be good for them to have a good meal this morning. It might take their minds off the reaping, and my 42 slips. It's also Rory's first year, something I refuse to dwell on, or even think about. I've been trying unsuccessfully to ignore that fact for the past few weeks. It'll be worse when I get too old to take out tesserae, which I will never allow any of my sibling to do. I hate the whole system with every fiber of my being. The tesserae, the reaping, the Hunger Games itself - I despise all of it.

I'm so deep in thought that I don't even notice that I've reached our meeting place. A few minutes later, Katniss appears out of the trees behind me. All previous thoughts are cleared from my mind as I take in what is probably my best friend.

"Hey Catnip," I say, using the nickname I've had for her since she was twelve. I smile, remembering the day we met. I thought she was trying to steal from one of my snares, and I ended up after her bow. She was so small back then, and she never smiled. She's really changed a lot, although I guess she's still small.

"Hey Gale," she responds, smiling back. Katniss only ever really smiles in the woods. I like to think I have something to do with it, but the freedom and happy memories of her father probably have something to do with it too.

"Look what I shot!" I exclaim, as I pull out the bread. I stuck an arrow through it while I was waiting for her.

"Perfect! Prim left us a goat cheese," she says, pulling it out I watch as Katniss lifts the bread up to her nose.

"How much did this cost you?" She asks, wide-eyed.

"Just a squirrel. I think the old man was feeling sentimental today," answer.

I'm tempted to make a comment, but I'm determined not to go off about the Capitol or the reaping today. Even though she doesn't say so, I'm pretty sure it makes her feel uneasy. Instead, I'm going to keep her mind off of it. I know she's just as worried about Prim as I am about Rory.

When we finish, Katniss speaks up. "What do you want to do today?" We can hunt, fish or gather this morning.

"How about we leave our poles at the lake and then gather?" I suggest. She agrees and off we go. We know each other so well, we hardly have to speak to work in harmony with each other. Maybe, for today, that's a good thing.

The words tumble out of my mouth before I can stop them. "We could do it you know," I say, and instantly wish I hadn't. Katniss is looking at me to continue, and there's no way out of it now. "We could leave here, live in the woods. You and I, we could make it."

"Maybe," she replies carefully. "If we didn't have so many kids," she adds quickly. She means my brothers and sister. And Prim, of course. Their's no way either of us would ever leave them. Our mothers would have to come to.

"I'm never having kids," Katniss says decidedly.

"I might, if I didn't live here," I murmur aloud, daydreaming about a place where my kids could grow up safely.

"But we do," she snaps.

"Yeah, but if we didn't," I answer, slightly agitated. Why does she have to be like this?

"Why are we even talking about this? There is no way we'd ever be able to leave, so why talk about it?"

I can tell this is making her uncomfortable, so decide to drop the subject. I'm surprised I even brought it up in the first place. As I look at Katniss, I wonder if I'll ever be able to change her mind.

We do well: several fish, a bag of greens and some strawberries. We trade some at the Hob; the black market where Katniss and I do most of our trades. The rest we divide between us, except the strawberries. Those we will sell to mayor Undersee, who has a special taste for them. Many better off merchants people and officials, including peacekeepers, are quite happy to do business with us.

When we knock at the mayor's back door, his daughter Madge answers. As she hands us the money for the berries, Katniss complements her dress.

"Well, I want to look nice if I have to go to the Capitol." This comment rubs me the wrong way, so for the second time today words are leaving my mouth before I have time to think.

"You won't be going to the Capitol," I say dryly. "You can't have more than what, five entries?" The look on her face makes me feel bad, but the words are true. It's unfair, really, how the poor people have to take out tesserae. It's almost always a seam kid who gets reaped, because they have extra entries for food. I mean, look at Katniss, who has four times Madge's entries.

We walk home quietly, me still fuming silently o myself. Katniss thinks it's pointless to be angry, but I cant help it. This whole country is a mess - nobody in it is truly living.

"Wear something pretty," I tell Katniss grimly as we go our separate ways.

By the time I get home, the rest of my family are already up and almost ready. I notice the bread I left is half gone. My mother gives me a grateful smile when she sees me. After my dad died in the same mine explosion that killed Katniss' father, we didn't know how we would get bye. But between me hunting and my mother washing clothes, we manage. I know she thinks I grew up to fast, but it had to be done.

My face falls slightly as I notice someone is missing. "Where's Rory?" I ask my mother.

"He's in his room," she answers slowly. I can tell from her expression what's bothering him.

I nod. "I'll go talk to him."

Rory is sitting on his bed, already dressed for the reaping. "How's it going?" I ask him. No reply. "Listen, I know it's hard. For the first time, you name is going into the pot with everyone else's. But everyone else has a lot more sips, so believe me, it won't be you."

Finally, he looks at me. "That's the problem. I'm not afraid that it's going to be me." Rory looks back down at his shoes. "I'm worried about it being you," he practically whispers. _So that's it. He's worried about me and my 42 names._

"Hey, don't worry about me. I've made it this far, haven't I? We Hawthorne's are survivors. Now we better go before we're late."

Rory nods his head and slowly follows me to the square. I wouldn't tell him this, but there is no way in hell I'm letting him go into that arena. I'd sooner volunteer than be forced watch my baby brother enter that blood fest.

As we wait for the names to be drawn, my grey eyes lock with Katniss' matching ones. Those misty eyes remind me that Rory isn't the only one I hope never has to enter the arena. What started out as a hopefully reassuring smile turns into a frown, and I look away.

Finally, the escort pulls out a name. And its Primrose Everdeen. I'm watching everything play out almost in slow motion. Prim marches to the stage, Katniss leaps forward to take her sister's place and Prim latches onto her. I know this won't be good, so I walk up to Prim and Katniss as steadily as I can and pull Prim off of her. Despite Prim's cries of protest, I bring her to her mother. The Capitol woman on stage seems beside herself with excitement, something with absolutely disgusts me. Then she has the nerve to ask for applause! Every single person in the square hold three middle fingers of their left hand to their lips, then hold them out to her. A final goodbye.

Only then does it sink in - my best friend is going into the Games to fight to the death. Katniss, who knows everything about me. Who listens to my rants against the Capitol. My hunting partner, who helps me care for my family. And she'll never know…

I turn and leave. I don't care if I'm not supposed to - they can shoot me here and now if they want. I pause only to make sure Rory will be safe, then I return home.

I have only every cried twice. Once when my father died, and once when Posy got so sick we weren't sure if she would make it. Today makes the total three. I manage to pull myself together by the time my family get home, and my mother pulls me outside to talk.

The first thing she says to me is, "You would have done the same for Rory." And it's true. Didn't I think as much before the reaping?

"Go, say goodbye to her. She'll needs to know she can win, that she has to win. Let her know you'll be waiting."

It's then that I realize my mom knows how I feel. But she's right about another thing to: Katniss not only can win, she has to. I swallow hard and nod - I don't trust my voice.

"Go," she says, shooing me away, and I obey

I walk into the room in the justice building and open my arms. She immediately steps into them without even thinking. She must have just said goodbye to Prim.

"I'll take care of them," I promise her. We had agreed on this a while back, in case the unthinkable happened.

"I know," she whispered. She seemed to fragile in this moment, and yet she was being so strong. It took everything I had to let her go.

"You can win. You know how to hunt, you have real experience," I tell her forcefully.

"Yeah, animals," she answers.

"How different can it be, really? You just need to get your hands on a bow," I continue.

"There aren't always bows," she replies pessimistically.

"There will if you show them how good you are. And if there isn't, make one," I press. I won't let her giving up before it even begins.

I can see the doubt reflected in her eyes. "What if there's no wood?" she asks.

Now she is truly thinking worst case scenario. "There's almost always some wood," I say patiently. She knows I'm right - freezing to death is very anti-climatic, and the Games should be "exciting."

Suddenly, peacekeepers barge in and start to pull me away, but I fight back. I can't leave her here, not until I tell her.

"Katniss, remember I-" but the peacekeepers separate us and slam the door. As I walk home, all I can think is that Katniss might die and never know. _She won't die, _I remind myself. _Katniss is a survivor. She'll come home._

So I go home, with the words _I love you _still on my lips, waiting until the day they will finicky be released.


End file.
